Alex had gone into the forest to clear his mind after a rough day. He just needed to get away from the townspeople for a while, and he didn't want his grandparents to ask too many questions. He didn't usually go here, deterred by the log that blocked the path... but it had been removed at some point. He almost felt drawn to the place. He kicked a slime out of the way and sat down on a stump to mope, not knowing there was something else in the area.

Slimes bounces around his ankles, leaving scrapes and burns that didn't hurt as much as it hurt inside.